Dr. Jonathan Finn

Contact Information

Languages Spoken

English

Academic Background

Jonathan Finn received his B.A. (McMaster) and M.A. (York) in Art History. While at McMaster he pursued a year of study at the University of Leeds, England. He entered the Program in Visual and Cultural Studies at the University of Rochester in 1997, earning his doctorate in 2003.

His interests include visual culture, visual communication and surveillance studies, with particular emphasis on the use of photographic technologies in scientific and social scientific practices.

His book, Capturing the Criminal Image: From Mug Shot to Surveillance Society (Minnesota, 2009), is a critical examination of the use of visual representation in modern and contemporary Canadian and American law enforcement practices. He is also producing an edited collection of essays in visual communication and visual culture for Oxford University Press Canada.

Dr. Finn is currently developing a new research project on photographic representation and sport. More specifically, he is interested in the history of the photo-finish, instant-replay and related uses of the photograph as a juridical tool in sport.